Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27255457›Full record

ArticleBMC family practice2016

Disentangling the concept of "the complex older patient" in general practice: a qualitative study.

S A Zwijsen, N M Nieuwenhuizen, O R Maarsingh, M F I A Depla, C M P M Hertogh

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC family practice, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
3.2field-weighted citation impact, top 8% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 18 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Preparing for a paradigm shift in aging populations: listen to the oldest old.International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being · 2018
    Article
  8. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

S A ZwijsenDepartment of General Practice and Elderly Care Medicine/EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU Medical Center, Van der Boechorststraat, 71081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. s.zwijsen@vumc.nl.
N M NieuwenhuizenVerenso, the Dutch Association of Elderly Care Physicians and Social Geriatricians, Utrecht, Netherlands.
O R MaarsinghDepartment of General Practice and Elderly Care Medicine/EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU Medical Center, Van der Boechorststraat, 71081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
M F I A DeplaDepartment of General Practice and Elderly Care Medicine/EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU Medical Center, Van der Boechorststraat, 71081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
C M P M HertoghDepartment of General Practice and Elderly Care Medicine/EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU Medical Center, Van der Boechorststraat, 71081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research · NLNederlandse Vereniging voor Kindergeneeskunde · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe rising life expectancy in the developed world leads to an increase in the number of older patients and the complexity of their complaints in general practice. Although interventions and support for general practitioners are available, implementation lags. Knowledge on what determines a complex older patient, the problems of which general practitioners encounter and the situations they actually need support for, is necessary for better implementation.

methodsTo provide support to general practitioners in their struggle with complex older patients, the aim of this research was to disentangle the concept of the complex older patient in general practice. A qualitative approach was used consisting of 15 semi-structured interviews with general practitioners. The general practitioner was asked to prepare a case of a complex older patient out of their own practice that could be discussed during the interview. Transcripts of the interview were analysed using inductive thematic analysis.

resultsAnalysis of the interviews resulted in twelve themes that could be categorised into five factors that contribute to the complexity of cases of older patients. The five factors are: not being in charge, different views on necessary care, encountering the boundaries of medicine, limits to providing social care, ill-equipped.

conclusionThe factors that were found imply that a better organisational structure for elderly care and consulting elderly care physicians could support general practitioners in providing care for older complex patients. Furthermore, understanding the current concept of patient autonomy seems unjustified in cases of complex older patients.

Indexed as

ComorbidityGeneral PracticeGeriatricsAdultAged, 80 and overClinical CompetenceDelivery of Health CareFemaleHumansInterdisciplinary CommunicationInterviews as TopicMaleMiddle AgedPatient Care TeamQualitative ResearchReferral and ConsultationAgeingComorbidityEthicsGeneral practiceGeriatricsQualitative research

Identifiers

PMID27255457
PMCPMC4891906
OpenAlexW2411300295

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.